Big Road Blues Discussion Forums

Your chance to write big-time blues reviews. Only two rules: First, if you're connected to the band or artist, go to Shameless Promotion; Second, don't write a book -- keep it relatively short and simple, no 1,000+ word epics.

14 tracks, 38 minutes. Highly recommended. Here’s a cat who simply refuses to be categorized. Nick Curran started his musical journey in Maine, a geographical location that never was a true hotbed of blues activity. He vacated the state at the young age of nineteen and toured with rockabilly legend Ronnie Dawson until moving to Dallas, becoming a member of the Jaguars, the band of Texas rockabilly doll Kim Lenz. Fast forward to the present after a good number of years, a handful of solo releases (all worthwhile) and a lengthy stay as a member of The Fabulous Thunderbirds and we come to Reform School Girl, the guitarist and vocalist’s newest project. As clichéd as it may sound, there’s something here for practically everyone who claims to enjoy rootsy American music. Curran is no stranger to varying his approach - the evidence is all over this disc. There is certainly more than a slight tip of the hat to artists like Esquerita and Richard Penniman with Little Richard-styled rockers like Tough Lover and the disturbingly crazed Kill My Baby. You also get a rave-up that waves to a classic girl group (the Shangri-Las, anyone?) as in the title track, an Excello-influenced stomper like Psycho and Curran’s outlandish Dream Girl, which could only come from the deep and somewhat twisted cavern between his ears with a bit of Screamin‘ Jay Hawkins for good measure. Is it blues? It truly doesn’t matter. From beginning to end, this is a superb recording that runs the gamut from blues-based rock n’ roll to purely demented and ever-so-listenable madness! As an added bonus, Nick Curran's warehouse of jaw-dropping licks adorn every cut and his voice is surely something to enjoy. Kudos to Billy Horton for another flawless production job. BUY THIS RECORD!